Fire in Winter
by ardhoniel.InfinityGirl
Summary: Kai is stuck in Birchwood Forest and unexpectedly falls in love. It's a horrible summary, but it's still simply a fan-fiction. (I need some help on how to update separate chapters. I am pretty new at this posting on this website. Reviews and how-to's are much appreciated.)
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Ninjago, or its characters. This is a non-canon story. It takes place sometime I don't know when, but Cole is not a ghost, and Jay and Nya are together, as well as Nya being the water ninja. I ship Jaya and Pixane, but not sure yet about Kailor (at least in the canon). Skylor appears in this story, but she is not Chen's daughter. She is still the Elemental Master of Amber, but she has a different backstory.

Kai POV

I punch the boards that Zane is gripping harder while I watch Jay and Cole mock fight Lloyd. "I don't know, Zane," I say, focusing my energy on the punching boards. "There hasn't been any activity for so long. I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever get a chance to kick butt again."

The alarm sounds. I bolt to my feet from the hull of the Destiny's Bounty and run to the bridge. The alarm only sounds when there is trouble. "What's going on in Ninjago?" I ask my sister Nya, who is already there, searching the computer for the threats.

"A rogue Serpentine tribe has attacked a village near Birchwood Forest," Nya informs me. "The people have sustained heavy losses already. I'm surprised we didn't get informed of this earlier."

"Serpentine? Haven't had those in a while. Maybe there was misinformation," Lloyd presumes.

"Or a possible disruption in communication?" Zane configures.

"Whatever it is, we can't spend any more time here than we need to," Cole says. "No matter what, we need to protect the people." He pulled on his black hood.

"Cole's right," Lloyd puts in, pulling on his green hood in response. "Ninja go!" we all yell as we use Airjitzu to jump off the decks of the Destiny's Bounty. From there, I summon my elemental dragon, letting it carry me down to the ground below us.

Lloyd POV

"Soon, the village is in sight. I see the Serpentine terrorizing the villagers. Some of them are being cornered by the Serpentine's spears and bows. Fire is burning down some of the huts.

"Okay," I call out to my fellow ninja. "Cole, Jay, you two need to stop the oncoming Serpentine from nearing the village. Kai, Zane, you'll protect the people from the Serpentine in the square. Nya and I will see about the people inside the huts. We need to bring everyone together in the square!"

"Got it," Zane replies. Kai is the first to swoop down from his dragon, his katana already drawn. Nya follows me towards the houses. I run into one of them as Nya uses her water to douse the straw huts. I see some people and execute a flip over the flames. "Hurry!" I tell them. "We need you to reach the square. We'll help you from there." I concentrate my energy on the flames, pushing them back temporarily with a ball of pure energy as the people run past me.

I see Nya move to the next hut. I just hope that the others are faring better.

Jay POV  
"They're breaking through!" Cole yells at me. "Stop them!"

"I'm trying, Cole. I don't see you trying any more than me!" I yell back, blocking their blows expertly with my nunchuks. I see a Serpentine aiming his spear at the Earth Ninja. "Watch out!" I push him out of the way, barely dodging the spear's trajectory myself.

We both fall on the cracked sand. "Thanks," Cole appreciates as he dusts himself off. "I owe you one."

I laugh. "Now where have I heard that before?" I turn back to the Serpentine, twisting the nunchuks around to block any blows coming my way. Cole, his back turned to me, doesn't bother with a weapon at the moment and fights off hand-to-hand style. He's always been the stronger one anyway.

"How are we supposed to stop these Serpentine from moving farther ahead?" I ask my brother. "They just keep coming!"

"Keep fighting!" Cole barks back, himself occupied at the moment as he swings a Serpentine over his head. "We need to protect everyone."

Kai POV

"Kai! Watch out!" Zane yells at me. I narrowly dodge a flying arrow aimed at my head. "My scanners indicate that the arrows are made of vengestone," Zane informs me. "They could render your powers unusable."

"Relax," I tell my titanium brother. "It's me."

We've already helped out the people. We just have to regroup with the other ninja now. It seems that won't be too hard, as I see them all running back to the square. We all become a circle, our backs turned to each other as we fight off the Serpentine with our various weapons and powers.

"What do we do now?" Zane asks Lloyd, who is busy fighting off a smaller Serpentine with his silver katana.

"Sensei Wu should be here any minute with the Bounty," he informs us all. "I need most of us to stay here and protect the people as they get on. The rest of you, fight off the Serpentine."

I don't know, but fighting sounds better than protecting. "I'm going!" I tell them before starting to push towards the enemy, but I am soon stopped by a cliff I didn't notice before. An icy blast pushes me away from the edge, but I look down for a second to see Birchwood Forest beneath the cliff. I begin to turn around.

All of a sudden, I feel something push into the back of my left shoulder. It's so strong that it pushes me off balance. All I can hear is the scared voices of my friends as I see the edge of the cliff fall away above me. I get a sinking feeling in my stomach. I'm falling.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**Here it is, everyone. I'm so sorry it's super short. I promise the chapters will get longer as time goes on. Special thanks to RandomDragon2.0 and The Night Ninja for helping me add chapters. Everyone is always welcome to give some ideas for any of my stories. Enjoy!**

Zane POV:

I use my sais to defend myself, swinging them expertly. With PIXAL in my processor, I am now able to fight much better, as she alerts me to anything in my presence. Today she alerted me to something that I wasn't expecting.

"Zane!" she simply says to me. She repeats my name several times, but I am not able to answer for a while.

"PIXAL," I finally manage to speak. "What is the problem?" I watch her. Her face is one of pure shock, reminding me all too well of the look she had years back when I had sacrificed myself to defeat the Digital Overlord. "What is it, PIXAL?" I repeat, the look on her face scaring me.

"Kai. He…" She stops. The words seem to be stuck in her head.

"What has happened to Kai?" I ask her, worry beginning to seep into his gears. I leap over a Serpentine attacking me and disable him with my sais.

I put a hand to my forehead, trying to listen to PIXAL's words as she mumbles something. "PIXAL, please respond!" I'm desperate now. She saw something that no one else did.

"He fell," she finally manages to whisper audibly. I am too shocked to detect the Serpentine behind me. I feel the sharp pain of a club connecting with the back of my head.

Cole POV:

I try to help the villagers board the arrived Bounty, along with Lloyd, who is helping as well as shooting his energy powers at the nearby Serpentine. "We can't keep on the barrage for long," he tells me. "Get Sensei ready to punch it!" I run up the deck, sprinting straight for the bridge.

Nya POV:

How much more of this can I take? These Serpentine sure are hard to fight, especially since I've lost one of my katanas. This is one of those times I wish I had my Samurai X suit with me. I start to sprint back to the Bounty when I see Zane on the ground. He looks like he's out cold.

"Zane!" I rush to him, but he soon is able to pick himself up. He tries to speak to me, but it only comes out as a jumble of gibberish. "Take it easy, buddy," I tell him. "We need to get back to the Bounty. I'll have to fix your speech when I get my tools." We run to the Bounty. Lloyd and Jay meet us.

"That's everyone," Lloyd informs us. "We need to get out of here." We all board the Bounty. Cole punches the button. The boosters shoot us through the sky, away from the approaching rogue snakes.

Moments later, I am working on Zane's drive. "Your speech is out of sorts," I tell him, too busy to think of anything else for the moment. "It'll take me a minute to repair."

Lloyd POV:

There is something in Zane's eyes that scares me. Despite Nya telling him he needed some repairs, he is still trying to speak to me. "What is it?" I ask him, but he only shakes his head, a distraught look on his face.

I look around the ship. "Has anyone seen Kai?"

The Ninja of Lightning shakes his head. "There are too many people here to spot him. I can't see him anywhere."

Our titanium brother looks frantic. But he can't speak right now. I just hope we can find Kai soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Kai POV:

Cold. Everything is cold. Why can't I see anything?

More feeling returns to my hands. I push myself up, realizing now that I'm on snowy ground. It's cold and wet, and my teeth begin to chatter. I try to stand up, but suddenly a sharp pain forces me to my knees. I grip my shoulder, gritting my teeth.

Why is there blood on my hand? I reach to the back of my left shoulder again and feel a cold stone edge attached to a broken shaft of wood. More blood is on my hand.

Then I remember. _Watch out, Kai_ , Zane's voice resonates in my head. _Those arrows are vengestone. They could render your powers unusable._ That must have been what pushed me down the cliff. The snow must have cushioned my fall.

I force myself up, but the pain in my shoulder is barely bearable. Alone. Cold. Injured. No powers. How could this get any worse?

A faint roar comes from the snowy forest around me. Ok, of course it can be worse. I recognize the sound. Treehorns. My eyes dart to the trees. Any of them could be legs of the large beasts.

It sounded close. I need to keep moving. I pull my hood over my face to keep myself warmer. If I'm going to survive this, I need to find people soon.

Zane POV:

I really wish PIXAL wasn't in my head all the time. Then maybe she could tell them what's going on. I can't even talk. Jay's behind me, working on the problem, but how can I tell anyone anything?

"Zane," PIXAL says. This is the first time she's spoken since Kai's fall. "Write."

That one word almost causes me to slap myself in the face. How did I not think of it sooner? I'm a Nindroid, for crying out loud. Correction, I'm an idiot.

I hear Jay protesting as I pull away from him and run through the waves of people to the bottom of the ship. I run in, grab a piece of paper and an ink pen, and run back up before anyone can say "ice".

 _Kai fell_ , I scribble down, the first time being too messy to be legible. Jay glances over my shoulder and reads the message. "What?" he freaks out, taking the paper. I take it back from his hands to write more.

 _An arrow hit him_ , I continue to write. _He fell down a cliff. He's in Birchwood_.

The rest of the ninja have crowded around me now. I hear Nya begin to sob when she reads what I've written. Jay pulls her into a hug, letting her cry into his gi.

"Was he killed by the arrow?" Cole asks. Always Cole, to clarify things. I reply on the paper, _he was still alive when he fell. There's a chance he's alive_.

"It's alright, Nya," Jay whispers into his girlfriend's ear. "We'll find him, I promise."

"Jay's right," Lloyd agrees. "Ninja will never be forgotten. Kai's strong. We'll find him."

We're coming to save you, Kai.

 **Sorry these have been some short chapters. I will try harder to make them longer as this story progresses. Let me know what you guys think, and I hope you are excited about my new story coming up soon: Not About Numbers. The main characters will be our favorite ninjas' kids, full of twists and turns. Enjoy this for now!**


	4. Chapter 4

(Kai POV)

It's begun to snow. The wind whips through my gi. I feel like it's going to tear me to pieces. I force myself to move on. My hands and feet have become numb a long time ago. My legs trudge through the freezing snow. I can't do much else than walk. The snow in my eyes is keeping me from seeing anything in front of me. I'm blind, cold, injured. Won't someone come and find me?

I can't take it anymore. My muscles are too weak to continue. I hardly feel myself falling into the thick snow. All I can think about is my life flashing in my eyes. I can barely remember my parents. They were so distant in my life. Did they even want us? I had been the parents that Nya had never had all those years we were growing up. They had disappeared, and no one knew a thing about what happened to them.

Dad was a blacksmith. I would often play on the stone floor in my parents' shop with Nya, listening to the pounding of an anvil on a hammer. It was a satisfying sound to my ears, one that I had grown to love. And Mom, she was the one who would pull me into a hug when I had fallen, or tucked me in late at night when I was supposed to have fallen asleep a long time ago. She was so forgiving, so caring. I could never remember what they told me, what they did; I could only remember how they made me feel: loved.

Then they had left. I woke up one morning to find they had disappeared. Dad's tools were still laid on his blacksmith's table. I would normally wake up to the sound of the tools, but not this morning. Nor any other morning after that.

I had run into my parents' bedroom in the back of the house, hoping all of this was a big joke, and they would pop out and hug me and tell me everything was alright. The dream had become the nightmare. Nya and I grew up never knowing what had happened to them. I had taken care of her as best I could. I never wanted the local orphanage to take us in any more than they had to. As soon as I was able, I picked up the family business and began supporting for Nya and myself. I had never wanted anyone's help in my entire life, especially not some place that made you feel sorry for children who had no one to cry on.

Then Sensei Wu arrived. Calm, reassuring, an old man still, but for sure wise beyond his years. It wasn't until the possibility of losing the only family member I had left when Nya was taken came along was I able to humble myself to the point of obeying my teacher and becoming a ninja. Which, by the way, had always been my destiny; I had just been living in denial up until that point.

Those young men I met afterwards grew to be my best friends, my family. Cole, the one who I could rely on to keep a secret, or help me out when I needed it, the one who would stand by me no matter what. Jay, the only one that could make me laugh, even in the toughest situations, the one who could talk to me about anything. Zane, the calm one who always kept me in check, laid a reassuring hand on my shoulder when tough times were ahead, the one who understood my deepest thoughts by simply looking at me. Lloyd, who could lead the team, the one I had used to be jealous of then had grown to care for as a little brother. It felt too good to be true when I was finally able to warm up to those guys, that Nya didn't have to be the only one I went to for family. They were all my family.

And now I would never see them again. I was going to die here, alone, in the cold, with no one to help me. I was too weak to say anything. I only thought about my best times with them, as I slowly lost consciousness.

 **I will try posting one chapter every Thursday, maybe more when I have the time. I felt like this was a good place to stop, seeing as I could slow down and focus more on Kai. I love Kai; he's not my favorite, but I love his character, and I hope I get to write about him more in the future. Everyone enjoy! Ardhoniel out! (I got to do ACT prep, ugh.) :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Upload! Thanks for all the support on this story so far! I'm guessing you know who this person is. I just like to keep things a mystery. Let me know if you want longer chapters or faster uploads. Thanks again for all the help!**

? POV:

I sigh as I hear the distant roar of the Treehorns. They sneak up on you when you're not looking, but they do absolutely nothing when they see me. I've tripped them one too many times for them to want to mess with me, I guess. Honestly, I'm annoyed by their sounds. They're pests is all they are, really.

And they don't even have to bother me, since I don't bother them. I've lived in this forest for years; they should know by now that I'm just gathering food. Hey, a girl's gotta eat.

The snow is pressing in on me like a white curtain. It's a good thing I dressed warm. Well, technically, I always dress warm. Kind of expected since I live in Birchwood Forest. Wasn't my choice. Sure, I like the cold, but what can you expect from me? I'm no one. I have no one to go to. The whole wide world doesn't even know I exist. And I'm fine with that. It's not like they did anything for me.

I think my eyes are playing tricks on me, but do I see something red in the snow up ahead? I run to it, wondering what it could possibly be. As I get closer, I realize it's blood. Someone is nearby, and whoever it is is hurt. I follow what looks to be a trail, and suddenly I see a figure lying in the snow. I squint through the blizzard. I can't see too well, but I can tell he's wearing a strange red outfit. I try to look a little closer and notice he has an arrow lodged in his shoulder. That must be where the blood was coming from.

I don't know what to do. I don't know this person. I can't just drag him back to my place. I might hurt him more. He looks nearly frozen, too. He won't survive much longer in conditions like this.

My first thoughts are to leave him here. After all, what has the world ever done for me? Nothing. I can't trust anyone. But I shake my head for even thinking such things. This man in front of me is not the world. I shouldn't blame him for the things people did to me.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I tell myself, but I think I can. I reach down and pull him out of the snow, and jump a bit when a spark emanates from my fingers. "Fire element." I shrug it off. Maybe it'll come in handy later.

The man I'm helping is wearing a hood covering most of his face. He stirs a little, but he feels so frozen I'm worried I could lose him. "Hang in there. I'm going to help you," I tell him before resorting to my sled to help me out. If I'm going to get him to my home as quickly as possible, I need something to carry him on.

Cole POV:

We've started our search for Kai. We left the villagers in Ninjago City a while back, knowing they're in a better situation there than back in their village. "Can you scan the forest for him, Zane?" I ask the Nindroid. The Bounty is hovering over Birchwood. I look with my own eyes to see if I can catch a glimpse of anything, but there's no trace of Kai. Lloyd struggles for control of the wheel of the Bounty. There's an ice storm blowing beneath us, tossing us around like a piece of paper in the wind.

"My scanners are not detecting anything," Zane tells us. "Either he's far away from here, or he's too cold for me to pick up any body heat." Nya's face is scrunched up with worry. Jay is busy helping out Lloyd in keeping us stable, so I hug her. "He'll be alright, Nya," I whisper into her ear. "He's always been a fighter, especially when he took care of you in Jamanakai Village. He's strong. We're not going to lose him this easily."

"Is there any way to land?" I yell to the Green Ninja. Lloyd shakes his head. "The wind's too strong for me to go anywhere near the forest."

"And I sense this storm is only going to get stronger from here on out," Zane adds. I sigh, shaking my head. "Is there any place nearby?"

Jay runs to the computers inside the Bounty and comes back out with some findings. "There's a clearing a couple of miles east. I can't guarantee we can get there before the storm does, though."

Our ship makes a sharp turn. I can feel it banking beneath my feet. "Already on it," Lloyd yells at us. "Let's just hope we can get there in time to find Kai," I say, hugging Nya closer.

 **I'll be trying to upload at least once a week, most likely on Thursday nights. Let me know if you want it changed at all, and I'll see what I can do. Ardhoniel out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello, friends! Sorry for the late update! I've been pretty busy lately with school stuff. This chapter is kind of crud, but I'm really wanting to get this one done so I can get to my new one. I'll try to update this story more so I can get started on that one, or do you want me to start posting it now? Let me know what you want. I hope you guys will forgive me for this stuff. I'm getting a little tired of this first-person, present tense writing. What would you guys think if I changed it a bit? Also, who else is hyped for Dead Man's Squall, next SOG episode? I'm so excited!**

Kai POV:

Nothing. Nothing but darkness around me. I try to open my eyes, but I can't see anything. My hearing is all fuzzy, like I'm in a thick curtain. It's hard to stay awake. Am I dead? I wonder. No, I don't think this is what death is like. Something's happened.

Then that voice calls to me. It sounds so pure and youthful. I don't know who it is, but right now I don't care. "Lie still," the voice says. I don't know what's happening, but I'm hoping I'm in good hands. My consciousness drifts in and out for a long time.

Skylor POV:

We've reached the cave. I can easily create a fire now that I've touched him. I've already figured out he's a fire elemental. I don't even need any kind of kindling, which is nice. The man is waking up again. His shoulder still hasn't stopped bleeding. If he keeps still, maybe it will. I can't remember much about dealing with frostbite, so I wrap some blankets around him and lay him near the fire that I made, trying to keep him warm.

I pull off the wet hood off his face and can't help but stare at his face. He has a scar over his left eye and has spiky brown hair. I don't know why I am looking at him for so long. I've never felt anything like this before. What am I doing? I'm not glad that there's no one here to tell me.

I wait for half an hour. I can't help but watch him. His shoulder is still bleeding. I'm going to have to cauterize it. I lay a comforting hand on his shoulder and whisper to him to hold on. I don't know if he can hear me, but at least if he can, he won't be completely caught off guard. I create fire in my hand and use the heat to cauterize the wound. The man whimpers a little bit, but I'm guessing his being a fire elemental gives him some tolerance to it.

There's no way I can get the arrow out on my own. I've done all I can for now.

Kai POV:

There it is, that voice again. I try to open my eyes, but they seem to be glued shut. I don't know why that is, but that voice is comforting enough for me to know that there's nothing to worry about.

There's some warmth to my right. I hear the sound of a crackling fire nearby. I try to get up, but two hands gently press me back down. "Woah, easy there," her voice says. "You're hardly well enough to get up yet."

I do as whoever this person says and lie back down. My shoulder still throbs a lot, but I think it's better. But I still can't see anything. I don't know what else to ask except, "What happened?"

"I found you in the snow. I couldn't just leave you there," she tells me. I hear the sincerity and know she is telling the truth. "Thanks," I say, but I can't think of anything else. "My name's Kai. What's yours?"

There is a long silence, so long that I'm wondering if she's still there. "Never mind," her voice replies. I feel something placed into my hands. "Drink up, and then rest," she instructs.

I do as she says and hope that the others are doing well.

 **Thanks for reading this! I'm really appreciating your support in this story. Sorry this seemed quite rushed. I couldn't think of much else to write. So I've pretty much confirmed that this is Skylor, but I mean, I'm sure you guys already figured that out. I promise I'll try to make things go by shorter and better from now on. I'm not a real master at dialogue, so this is a work-in-progress. Thanks again for supporting me in this story! Ardhoniel out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again! Fire in Winter new chapter out! I'm glad I've been getting support for this story. Honestly, I've really just run out of ideas for this story, so it feels really boring for me. I need you to let me know if you want more. Sorry for the irregular posting. I was especially busy today with a lab practical in Anatomy and a Spanish test yesterday (ugh). Thanks again for the support! Here it is!**

It was several hours later before I woke up again. This time I was actually able to see somewhat clearly. I saw the fire in front of me. It was nighttime. And then there was that face. The one that had rescued me was on the other side of the fire on what looked like a fur blanket. She had red hair and a pretty face that I couldn't help but be mesmerized by. She wasn't asleep, just staring up at the cave wall (I think we were in a cave). Had she really stayed awake this whole time? I rose a little, being careful not to move my injured shoulder too much.

She saw the movement and stood up as well. "You feeling better, Kai?" she asked. It was a little foreign to me for her to say my name. I nodded and sat up the whole way. "I still didn't catch your name," I said, though that sounded weird.

She smiled and told me. "Skylor," she said, picking herself off the blanket. "But I guess it doesn't really matter."

"Why not?" I asked, curious.

Skylor shrugged. "I've just never had to use my name very often." I wanted to know more, but the way she looked into the distance kept me from speaking anymore. She seemed like she didn't really want to talk about it.

"So, what do you do, Kai, Master of Fire?" she asked. "How did you know I was a master of fire?" I asked, surprised.

"I inherited my powers from my mother, or so my friends told me. I have this special power that allows me to absorb other people's powers. That's how I created the fire," she said, gesturing to the flames. "I can't remember what it was called. I was too young."

For some reason, I felt very comfortable talking to this girl I hardly knew. I normally don't open up to people very easily, but something inside me told me I could trust her. I mean, who else would she tell? "I inherited my powers from my father," I said. "My sister Nya inherited the water element from our mother."

Skylor smiled at me. "You have a sister?"

"Yeah," I replied. "She's awesome, though I don't tell her that often. She helps me and my friends out any time we need it. Ever since our parents disappeared, she's really been the only family for me." It was then I realized that Skylor didn't just have the power to absorb elemental powers, but words as well.

"I'm sorry you didn't know much about your parents," Skylor said. "Why are you sorry?" I asked. There was a silence before she continued. "Because I know how it feels."

That was all she told me then. I couldn't speak anymore, because I started getting tired again. I lay back down carefully and sighed. What was the team thinking?

Zane POV:

I watched my friends search nonstop for the Red Ninja. They yelled his name over and over again, but I was pretty sure their cries were only getting carried away by the blizzard's wind. "We need more light, Zane," Jay yelled at me. I turned my inner lights on, my metal body glowing to give off light. "The storm is only getting stronger, Jay," I yelled back. "We should turn back so we don't get lost ourselves."

"I am not resting until I've found my brother," Nya's voice said from my left. I don't want to say I'm pessimistic, but the computers and scanners built into me always give me the statistics. It's kind of hard to remain positive when there are numbers blocking your vision of the probability of finding Kai at this rate. But I knew that the longer we waited to look for him, the larger those numbers would get.

"Me too," Jay said. I smiled a little bit. We all thought of Kai as a brother, not just Nya. We weren't just a team; we were a family.

"I'll have PIXAL contact Cole and Lloyd on the _Bounty_ to wait for us a little longer. If we can't find Kai by sunrise, we'll have to head to another part of the forest." I just hoped he was alright.

Skylor POV:

I slept for a few hours when Kai did. I never really needed sleep. I had spent plenty of time in my life not sleeping. Maybe I often didn't even want to sleep. It wasn't like I would get nightmares often, but I guess I was like a normal person, where you would get bad dreams once in a while. I didn't like those dreams. I never had since I was a kid.

The sky was somewhat clearer outside by the time the sun rose, but it was still snowing hard. I pulled on my coat and walked out to try and find breakfast. Snowberries it was, like always. I was used to them. I was more worried about what Kai might think.

He had said a lot last night that helped me know more about him. All I knew was that he had lost his parents and had a sister and was an elemental master of fire. I had listened hard when he had talked about his friends, and it sounded like they were important to him. I admired the way he cared about those friends. I wish I could have felt like that about my friends before I left.

I was too focused in my thoughts that I suddenly realized I had stumbled into the snowberry bush. I groaned in frustration and began picking the ripe ones off the bush. When I was done, I walked as fast as I could back to the cave. I didn't want Kai to wake up and get worried when he saw I wasn't there.

Why did I feel that way? Did I care about him? I had spent most of my teenage life in solitude, and now I cared about a person I just informally met last night? I shook it off. If I had any sort of feelings for him, I would find out sooner or later.

I looked into the cave and saw Kai still asleep. Good. He hadn't woken up. I began to sort through the berries I had picked. A few minutes later, he did wake up.

"How did you sleep?" I asked, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. I know he probably felt rotten, still being hurt and all. I wish I could have done more for him than I had done. He shrugged and stood up, shaking his head covered in spiky brown hair. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Breakfast," I said cheerily, pointing to the berries. "Hope you like snowberries. Only thing I can find that's suitable for eating in this forest."

"I don't mind," he said, smiling. I smiled back, turning to the berries again. He helped me out with the rest of them, and then we ate in silence. It was awkward to just not talk at all, but I didn't really know what to say, though I wish I did. Man, I would have gotten trapped in the legendary Sword of Souls with all my wishing a long time ago, if it existed.

"You still haven't told me about your friends," I said. "Yeah, about that," Kai replied. "I need to get back to them. They'll be worried about me. We're a lot like a family. We look out for each other."

Why do I wish I knew what that felt like? There it is, the wishing again. Why can't I be happy with my own life? I've got everything I could have needed: a warm cave for a home, an endless supply of snowberries and occasional deer meat, and now the recently acquired fire powers so I don't need kindling anymore. Maybe there's just a small part of me that wants to be with Kai.

"I should go soon and look for them," Kai said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Can I come with?" I asked. He nodded.

 **We got more backstory for Skylor. Did you think this was good? I hope you did, because honestly I don't. Ardhoniel out! I'll try to post more as soon as possible.**


	8. Author's Note: Some talk about SOG spoil

So, this is what happens when you're busy and the last few episodes of SOG have been just plain heartwrenching and captivating, and to top, my Internet stopped working on my computer, and this website is blocked in my school. I'm really sorry for not updating in a long time, I've been so busy with life and schoolwork and just stuff. And btw, spoilers for SOG, Harumi being the Quiet One and breaking Lloyd's heart is breaking mine at the same time! I don't know when I'll be able to post again. I'll try to add a chapter today when I'm at my grandparents' house which has Wifi. Thank you for being so patient! Ardhoniel


	9. Chapter 8

Kai POV:

Skylor and I left as soon as we were able. "Hey," I said. She turned to me. "Thanks for helping me out back there," I told her. I never knew I would need to owe my life to anyone. Skylor smiled and said, "You would have done the same thing."

I was surprised. Would I have? I'm a ninja, which means I am supposed to never leave anyone behind. But Skylor didn't know me, and she rescued me anyway. I was glad and all that she trusted me enough to believe that, but I wasn't sure if I believed it myself.

We walked next to each other through the snowy forest. It was cold, just not as cold as I remembered it yesterday. I still couldn't use my powers. I didn't talk about the pain in my shoulder, because I didn't want to look weak. It wasn't too bad anyway ( **yeah right, Kai's totally fooling himself** ).

It was the faint roar of a Treehorn to our right that stopped us in our tracks. I pulled my hood on out of habit and darted my eyes through the trees. Last time I fought Treehorns, it didn't end well, and Zane had to unlock his true potential in order to save us.

"Where are they?" I said, back to back with Skylor. Her head darted back and forth. She pointed to a tree. "That one," she said. I was about to run to it when she held me back. "They don't want a fight," she told me.

I scoffed. "Yeah, right. I've fought those things before, and they seem pretty aggressive." I watched her form fire in her hand and throw it out at the creature. It fell on its knees, its ghastly head showing. I pulled my arm back to reach for a weapon, but I hissed when I felt the pain in my shoulder. I didn't have a weapon anyway. That was stupid.

"What do I do?" I asked her, ready to help in any way I could, but I was pretty much defenseless at this point. "Use this," Skylor told me, throwing me a short sword she had on the side of her leg that I didn't even notice was there before. I caught it and ran towards one Treehorn, swinging the sword at its legs. The monster screeched and tried to kick me, but I was much more experienced now than years ago.

"Look out!" I heard Skylor yell at me. I turned to see a Treehorn coming straight at me. It knocked me down to the ground. Suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind that blew it away before I could do anything. Confused, I turned and saw Skylor with her hands outstretched a long distance away. She ran to me and held out her hand. "Come on," she said. "We need to get out of here before more of them show up." I couldn't say anything, so I took her hand, and she helped me up. We both ran from the creatures. After we were sure they were nowhere to be seen, I leaned against what I knew for sure was a tree, trying to catch my breath.

"You okay?" Skylor asked. I looked at her and nodded. I couldn't say anything. "What's wrong?" she asked. She must have seen the confusion on my face.

"How did you use wind?" I said slowly. Skylor looked at me for a long time. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I can absorb elemental powers. I absorbed…" She came a bit closer. "You absorbed wind," I finished for her.

Skylor sighed, looking down at the snow beneath her feet. She looked hurt, with a vacant look in her eyes, as if she wasn't fully here. "Perhaps it's time you knew everything," she said.

* * *

 _10 years ago…_

 _Skylor ran through the streets and dark alleyways, the footsteps not far behind her. "I'll teach you a lesson," the gruff voice yelled at her. Scared, the 8-year old ran harder, clutching the apple to her chest (_ _ **I know, cliché, but it's the best I've got**_ _). She darted into a hole and scrunched herself in as much as possible, praying she wouldn't be seen. She saw the man's feet right in front of her. "I know you're here," the man yelled, gripping a baseball bat tightly. The girl didn't dare breathe, she didn't want to be hit by it._

 _There was what felt like a long time before his feet disappeared again. Skylor waited until his footsteps had ceased in the distance, then pulled herself out of the hole. She ran the direction she had come, turning to glance behind her. Suddenly, the breath was knocked out of her as she ran into someone. She was just about to defend herself when she noticed it was a boy several inches taller than her. "Woah, careful there," he said in a cheery tone. "Wouldn't want to knock over anything by mistake." Skylor looked up into his face. He had a young face with somewhat bushy eyebrows and long, messy black hair._

" _What have you been doing?" the boy asked. When she didn't answer, he pulled her into a dark alley. He watched her paw the apple in her hands and grabbed it. "Stealing is wrong," he said. Without a word, he threw it into the snow._

" _Hey!" Skylor protested. The boy smiled at her. "If you want to get food, there's a better way, and you don't have to break the law to do it." He took her by the hand and led her through alleyways. "Why are you helping me?" Skylor asked. The boy turned to her._

" _Because I know how you feel," he said. "No one should have to be alone. What's your name?" The girl hesitated before speaking. "Skylor," she squeaked. "What's yours?" she countered, staring into his dark eyes._

 _The boy smiled. "My name's Morro, but you can call me your big brother."_

 ** _DUN DUN DUN! Skylor has met Morro! Yes, I'm back, people, and with more than ever! I have few more plans for this story, so it's almost done. If you don't already know, I had had problems with my Wifi at home, and my school Wifi did not allow me to access this website, so it's been real difficult. My family is in Canada right now for spring break, and I am going to work super hard to finish this story during this time period, so keep watching for more chapters soon. Can you let me know if you guys want more Skylor and Morro? Morro, in this story, used to be a good young boy, which makes his eventual story more tragic. Please review and let me know what you guys want to see. Keep in touch with Ardhoniel!_**


	10. Chapter 9

**Yes, I know. I had to add Morro in there somehow. I love Morro, he's one of my favorite villains, besides Lord Garmadon, so I really wanted him to add in there. This wil be second-to-last chapter in this series. I want your opinions if you want me to do any other stories. I don't normally live in America, I just am for this year, and I'm not sure that the country I live in is able to use the fanfiction website. I will be leaving back to that country at the end of May. If I can use it, though, then no problem! I'll see you guys more often. But if not, I probably won't add any fanfictions until my first year of college starting in 2019 when I go back to America. I still have a while till then, but I want to know if you guys want me to do more fanfictions before I leave. So thanks, everyone, for the support! I love you all!**

 **(Btw, who is enjoying more sons of garmadon? I know I am! If you want me to write any oneshots on that, let me know. I haven't been doing many oneshots of season 8 since Llorumi got smashed :P [both my sister and I are really upset about that, my sister especially 'cause it was her fav ship]. Maybe y'all can help me get motivated again)**

He was my brother, not my biological one, but one I could trust. One that I could call family. He always saw the best in me. He was the only one I had. So when he was found by Wu, I had no one. So I came to Birchwood, to try and hide from the world. I didn't want to trust anyone ever again. Now, I'm not so sure.

" _Morro!" Skylor called after her brother. "Get back, before he sees you!" He didn't seem to hear her, just kept digging through the can. "Morro!" she yelled louder, but it was too late. She ran away as she saw the man coming towards him._

 _Skylor ran for a long time, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. She knew he was gone. She had had a dream about this, so long ago. She didn't think it would turn real, and she had just thought it was deja vu until she saw him, the blonde-haired man with the staff. Morro had tried to tell her that it would be fine, that she was only dreaming, but it had happened before her eyes, and there had been nothing she could do about it._

 _He was gone. Those three words played in her head like a broken record player, the kind that keeps repeating things. Who could she go to now when she needed someone to comfort her from her nightmares? Who could she go to when she was crazy enough to steal something, and he would get her out of it, then scold her like a true brother about morals and not stealing? (She regretted it now, stealing to make him so upset.) Who could she go to when she needed to just cry into someone's shoulder when her wanting her parents made her breathless and made her feel like she wanted to sleep forever? There was no one now._

"I lost everything I could have wanted that day: a family, a home, happiness. Don't get me wrong, I've been great these years, but it's just not the same," Skylor said, quickly wiping a tear from her cheek as she finished her story. Kai wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Skylor what Morro had done, how much trouble he had caused for Ninjago. Was it better for people to know the painful truth, or was it better for her to stay in the dark? For all he knew, Skylor didn't even know that Morro had been taken in as a student and raised as a future ninja, but had gotten obsessed with becoming the Green Ninja, like Kai was years ago, before Lloyd was revealed to be the Green Ninja. He now saw the Master of Wind in a whole new light. What had he felt like when he had unintentionally left Skylor behind to fend for herself? Maybe one day Kai could bring himself to tell her what happened.

He didn't know why, but he felt like he had to do this. He slowly reached for her hand and held it in his own. "You don't have to be alone anymore, Skylor," he said, looking into her beautiful brown eyes. "The ninja are a family. We take care of each other, make sure that each one of us is on the right path. You can always be a part of that. We…" He looked away, blushing. "I want you to be with us."

For the second time in her life, Skylor felt a feeling she was unfamiliar with. Acceptance. It's amazing what a simple act of kindness can do to a person. You can have no idea how much it could impact them. It was unconditional love, the kind that embraced you no matter who you were, no matter what you had done. It believed in you, strengthened you, loved you. "I- I want that," she breathed, letting herself draw closer to him. He did the same, leaning down to her slowly. Skylor closed her eyes, waiting.

"Kai!" a voice rang out. Skylor opened her eyes again to see a girl with short black hair and a maroon ninja gi jump out from behind a tree. Kai's face broke out in a relieved grin. "Nya!" he called after his sister, walking to her and giving her a long hug. He winced when she squeezed him.

"You're hurt," the Water Ninja said, noticing his blood-stained gi. "I'm fine," Kai objected. If he wasn't injured, she would have given him a punch. "You are not," she argued. "You are coming back with us, and you are going to the hospital to get things straightened out."

"I don't need to go anywhere, Nya. Skylor took care of me," Kai said, motioning to where Skylor was before, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Skylor?" he called out. _That's weird. She was just here a second ago_ , he thought. "Hey, you can come out. She doesn't bite," he playfully joked. Skylor poked her head out from behind a tree. Kai was amazed at how shy she looked. She probably hadn't seen another girl for years.

Nya saw the red-haired girl probably the same age as her step out from behind the tree trunk and smiled involuntarily, trying to comfort the girl a bit as if she were a small dog. She was a human, but in this case, she was a little too shy than a normal person was. "Hey," she said, not entirely sure of what to say. "Thanks for taking care of my brother." The girl nodded but didn't say a word.

"You can follow us back to the _Bounty_ if you feel like it," Nya said. "You don't have to be afraid." Skylor smiled and followed the two through her woods.

 **There you have it, folks. There will be an epilogue coming out soon, possibly tomorrow or maybe even tonight. Keep that in mind, and I'll see you there again! Please review to let me know how you liked this chapter. Good romance, good angst, anything? Thanks again for reading! Ardhoniel out!**


	11. Chapter 10

"Dr. Jennings, please report to the OR," a voice on the intercom said. Skylor winced at the loud voice, wondering where it had come from. It sounded like it came from the ceiling. Nya chuckled. "That was just the intercom," she told the girl. "It speaks to let other people know what is going on."

"Where did it come from?" Skylor asked. Nya pointed towards the speaker in the ceiling. Skylor laughed at herself for being so timid. "Sorry," she apologized. "I'm just not used to this kind of stuff yet."

"You'll get the hang of it," Nya assured her new friend. "It's been a while, and I know it's still tough." There was a long silence, so Skylor decided to change the subject. "How's Kai doing?" she asked.

Nya shrugged. "He's great. He just needed some rest and some treatment. He'll be better in a few days. You want to see him?" she asked. Skylor nodded shyly.

The Water Ninja led the way into Kai's hospital room. He was lying on the bed, flipping through a magazine, honestly a little bored. Skylor walked in. "Hey," Kai said while she sat down in a nearby chair. She smiled but didn't say anything. "I'll leave you two alone for a minute," Nya said, winking at them both before closing the door behind her.

"How are you doing?" Skylor asked the Fire Ninja. He shrugged. "Better. I haven't felt like I thanked you enough for what you did for me back in the forest," he said.

Skylor laughed. "It was all I could do," she admitted. "Still," Kai said, "the doctors say it was a lot easier to help me with you doing your previous work. So I'm not the only one that personally wants to thank you." Skylor blushed, turning away. She couldn't breathe with him raining down on her with compliments.

"You know," Kai started. "There's a lot for you to learn about the city. Maybe, when I'm discharged, I could show you around." Skylor looked up, curious. Kai smiled as he stared into her brown eyes. "I'd like that," she said. It was in that moment that Kai knew this was the very start of a wonderful relationship.

 **There we are, everyone! I am done with this story, but I started on Not About Numbers, so be sure to check that out! If you ever want to know, Kai did tell Skylor about Morro, but it helped them grow closer. It was not good for him to keep it from her, but I wouldn't blame him. He didn't know how she would react, and he certainly didn't want to make her upset. Ardhoniel out once again!**


	12. AN

**Hello, people! I'm back, I know this is just a silly author's note, but I wanted to let you guys know that I changed a little bit in the last chapter, so you can check that out if you want. And, btw, on a more serious note, Ninjago needs our help. If you can, please watch Sons of Garmadon on your TV when it comes out in your country. That way, Cartoon Network will get good views on the show and will continue to fund the writers so that they can keep giving us more Ninjago. This is important for Ninjago's future, so keep this in mind with all seriousness.**

 **Thanks for reading! Ardhoniel out!**


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